While some car accidents won’t be preventable for whatever reason, there are sure to be many that could have been avoided – and now new research has revealed that more than 47,000 drivers have been involved in crashes partly as a result of not looking properly.

The Direct Line Car Insurance study has found that the accident factors most likely to result in drivers sustaining an injury are illness or disability, loss of control of the vehicle and swerving. While speeding is only attributed to some three per cent accidents, it’s drivers’ failure to keep their eyes on the road that is the most common contributing factor.

Poor judgement was also found to be a factor in accidents here in the UK, with 13 per cent of drivers contributing to incidents because of failing to judge another car’s movement or speed, as well as driving recklessly, in a hurry or while conducting poor manoeuvres or turns.

Director of motor with the insurer Gus Park said: “The most concerning thing about the most common accident factors is that the majority of them are well within drivers’ control, effectively making a considerable number of collisions avoidable … Drivers need to focus not only on their own driving but also pay close attention to other road users.”

A good way of helping to prevent an accident from taking place – apart from staying focused while behind the wheel – is to prioritise car maintenance, especially as your car gets older.

Checking your tyres is advisable, particularly if you’re going to be going on a long journey, while checking your hoses and belts for wear and tear is also a good idea. Rubber can become brittle over time and it will likely need to be replaced at some point. If you don’t do this, your car could suffer engine damage as a result.